Safe Haven
by SereneCalamity
Summary: Clary's in trouble. And it seems like the best person to help her is the man who broke her heart at seventeen. Clace.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! So I've been thinking about doing a multi-chapter story for this category for some time. Now I'm a little bit unsure of this story, not too sure if it's something that I want to pursue as I do have a couple ideas. However this is the one that I liked the most so I thought I would do up a quick chapter and see what all of you thought of it? This is only very short, done in under an hour, so I do apologize for any mistakes or grammatical errors. Let me know what you think of it, and if I get enough of a response, I'll continue it! So let me know, pretty people :)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.  
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"John? John—I need you to pick me up," Clarissa Fray's voice was high pitched as she flew around her bedroom.

"Clary? Clary, what's going on?" Johnathon Morgenstern asked.

"I just—" her voice dropped off and Johnathon frowned of his side of the phone.

"What was that?"

"I'm leaving. I need you to come and get me," her voice was clearer this time.

"Shit, where is he?" Johnathon's voice was clearer now, and he grabbed his keys off the counter and his jacket from the back of the couch.

"He just left to go the pub with some guys from work," Clary scoffed. "At least that's what he said, but he always comes home smelling like cheap perfume." Johnathon sighed as he locked the door of his house and made his way to his car. "Johnathon, are you going to help me?"

"You know I am, Clary," Johnathon replied. "I've just got to my car, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"If the neighbors see your car..." her voice sounded panicked again.

"I'll park around the corner. Pack as much as you can—if you're out, you're out, Clary," he said to her evenly. "You know he'll kill you if you go back." There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone and Johnathon knew that Clary was aware of the consequences once she walked out her front door. "I'll be there in twenty minutes. Be ready."

* * *

><p>Clary had two bags and was standing on the corner of the street as Johnathon pulled his Nissan up to the curb. He waited as she threw the two bags into the backseat of the car and then she slid into the front seat. She was even more pale than usual, her mouth was chapped as she pulled her lower lip with her teeth, her eyes darting over to her older brother. Johnathon looked at her worriedly as he pulled away from the curb, but didn't say anything to her. He had been trying to get her to leave Jacob Chard since two and a half years ago, when he had first found out that he had been abusing her. He wasn't sure what it was that had prompted her to make the move finally to leave, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to know, all he knew was that he was glad that she had done it. They drove for over half an hour without talking before Clary finally spoke up.<p>

"Where are we going?"

"The first place Jacob is going to look for you is with me," Johnathon began. "He's a cop, he knows how these things work. I'm taking you to the train station."

"Where am I going to go?" Clary's voice was pained and he saw her chest beginning to heave.

"I've got an idea, okay? You're just going to have to trust me," Johnathon told her. Clary stared at him for a long time before finally nodding. "Just relax, okay? I've got cash on me, and I can get some more. We'll take the train because they don't ask for ID and all that shit. Take it right to the end, there's going to be someone waiting for you."

"Who?"

"I just told you to trust me, didn't I?" Johnathon repeated. Clary nodded hesitantly. She lifted her polish chipped fingernails to her mouth and chewed on the corners, staring out the window. "Clary," his voice was soft, so as not to scare her. "Did you bring everything you need? Your passport, birth certificate, licence?"

"I, uh," Clary frowned, looking over her shoulder. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, leaning back against the headrest. "I only got some clothes and my wallet."

"It's okay," Johnathon reached over and squeezed her knee. His phone began to vibrate and her eyes widened. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. He answered it and held it to his ear. "John...Yup. I get it...We're almost at the train station." He glanced over at Clary, addressing her. "Do you have your phone?" She nodded. "Toss it out the window." Clary raised an eyebrow but didn't argue, taking it out of her pocket and throwing it out the window. "Yeah, it's gone...Okay, thanks, Si."

"Si?" Clary asked as her brother ended the call. "As in Simon? Simon Lewis?"

"Yes," Johnathon affirmed. Clary widened her eyes in surprise.

"Shit," she murmured. "I haven't heard from him in...Years."

"He still sees you as a friend, which is in our favor," Johnathon said as they pulled into the carpark of the train station. "Come on, sis." He got out of the car and pulled out her two bags from the backseat. On second thought, I think you should take this." He paused and took off his jacket. Clary pulled it on, the over-sized garment enveloping her. Johnathon moved quickly into the train station, which was quiet due to the time of night. He paid for her ticket, leaving her standing by herself in a dark corner of the room. She watched her brother as he flirted easily with the blonde haired girl behind the counter, charming her. Her brother was good like that. When he finally came back, Clary was impatient.

"Take long enough?" She grumbled, looking over her shoulder.

"Hey, I tell her she looks pretty and make her feel all warm inside, she's going to remember me, not you," Johnathon told her. He handed her her ticket and put his hands on her shoulders. She was shaking under his touch. "Clary. You're okay. You're going to be okay." He looked up at the clock on the wall. "We need to get you on the train and out of here."

"Where am I going, Johnathon?" Clary asked as he hurried her down the platform.

"Best place to get lost is in the city," Johnathon told her. Clary's eyes widened.

"Simons in the city?" She asked. Something flickered across Johnathon's face and her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Simon is in the city," he carefully chose his words. Clary wanted to say something else but he caught her hand and jerked it upward. "Why are you still wearing this?" He was looking at her engagement ring and wedding band.

"Johnathon," she sighed. His gaze was hard but he didn't make another comment.

"Take this," he said to her. He pushed something else into her hand and she looked down at the wad of notes.

"No, I can't—"

"Clary," Johnathon leveled his gaze with hers. "You're my sister. It's my job to protect you. And I should have gotten you out of there a long time ago."

"Then don't send me away," Clary quickly said, her eyes beginning to water. "Let me stay with you. Or—or come with me!" Johnathon sighed.

"I love you, Clary," his voice was even. She took in a shaky breath, a tear escaping the corner of her eye and trailing down her face. He reached out and brushed away the moisture, nodding over her shoulder to the train. "Now get on there. When you get off at the last stop, someone will be there to meet you." Clary nodded again, holding back the whimper that she wanted to release. "You're going to be okay. I promise you."

* * *

><p>She should have slept on the train.<p>

As Clary stumbled down the metal stairs to the platform, her eyes puffy and heavy from the lack of sleep and crying, she realized that she had made a critical error in not sleeping. But every single time someone walked past her, her whole body stiffened and she hunched over uncomfortably. Every time the doors slid open, she tried to hide her face, even though she knew that right now, Jacob would be half past drunk in his pub down the road, probably flirting with some pretty, unsuspecting brunette. She looked around, trying to find someone that she recognized. Unless Simon had changed drastically in the several years since she had seen him, he wasn't the short Asian man with barely any hair, or the the well built older man, puffing on a cigarette. The train was emptying quickly, and everyone was making their way off the platform and out of the station.

"Clary!" A voice shouted. Her whole body jerked as she spun around to find the owner of the voice and then she stilled as she came face to face with the man that she hated since she was seventeen years old.

He was meant to be the one who was going to keep her safe?

This was Johnathon's plan?

"Jace," she growled.

_So? Guys? Any interest?_

_Let me know!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Ohmygod, guys! Your response was incredible! Absolutely loved it! So, yes, I will continue as long as the reviews keep coming :) I've decided to post up the other idea I had as well, so if you guys want to check that out, and let me know if I should continue that as well. I will just let you know now, that I don't usually update in the span of a week. But it's because of your reviews that I wanted to get my ass into gear and get this up. Moral is; keep up the incredible reviews, and I'll keep writing as quickly as I can! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter._

Jace Wayland hadn't seen Clary in nearly five years. And even then, the last time they had seen each other was not on purpose. It was Johnathon's twenty-second birthday and his girlfriend at the time had thrown a big party, inviting pretty much everyone that he knew. It wasn't a big leap to invite his bestfriend and his sister, but it definitely prooved how little she knew about him. The second Clary had gotten into the apartment and seen Jace and the colour had just drained from her face. She was with a guy in a suit who didn't appear the least bit interested in being there, and he definitely wasn't interested enough in her to notice her mood change. She spent the night avoiding him, and Jace the same. They bumped into each other when in line for the bathroom, and had stopped short to stare at each other. Clary had muttered 'excuse me' and ducked around him, but not before he saw the flash of an engagement ring on her left finger and his stomach had clenched so tightly he thought he was going to throw up.

And now, it was just after three in the morning and he was standing at a train station, waiting for her. Johnathon had mentioned things about her husband, Jacob, but hadn't gotten into any detail. Jace had tried to push the subject a couple of times when they were drinking together, but Jacob was close-mouthed about it. Then, just after ten, Simon had called Jace and said that Clary was on her way to him, saying that she needed to be kept safe and Jace would be the last place that her husband would look for him because one, he probably didn't know Jace existed. Two, if he did know Jace existed, he would know that Clary hated him. Jace had asked why she needed to be kept safe, what was going on, and Simon had said for him to call Johnathon the next day and talk to him, but would he just get his ass down to the train station at three and pick her up.

Jace was already pulling on his shoes and grabbing his keys.

Now, he was face-to-face with Clary and he could see that she was the last person she had been expecting, so clearly no-one had told her where she was going.

"Jace," she stated.

"Clary," Jace replied, attempting to keep his voice even. She stared at him, her green eyes dull. "Come on, you're probably exhausted." He reached toward her to pick up one of her bags but she jerked it back. He held up his hands, palms upward, and turned on his hell. "Parked down the side," he said, walking quickly off the platform. He heard Clary shuffling behind him, carrying her two bags awkwardly. He had brought his car, rather than his motorbike, assuming that the close physical contact wasn't something that Clary would appreciate. He pressed the button on his remote and the lights for the car flashed, the locks popping open. He opened the back door and Clary put her bags in. Then he opened the passenger side door and she got in, pulling it shut behind her. Jace rolled his eyes. "You're fucking welcome," he muttered under his breath as he made his way around to the drivers side door. The drive home was probably the most awkwardest twenty minutes of his life, and he was glad when they reached his house, the garage door sliding open and the car driving inside. Clary was silent as she got out of the car, but he saw the way her eyes were appraising his place. Jace beat her to the bags in the back seat, and she sighed as he carried them into the house, Clary following behind him. "I'll put you in one of the guest rooms," he said. "There's an en-suite if you want a shower." They reached a room and went inside. There was a double bed with a plain blue bedspread, two bedside tables with a lamp on the right hand side, and a set of drawers at the opposite side of the bed. "Kitchen is down the stairs which are right at the end of the hall."

"Okay," Clary mumbled, speaking for the first time since the train station. Jace put her bags down on the floor and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Clary had her hands shoved into her pockets, chewing on her lower lip and staring at her feet. Jace looked at her, noting that she was wearing all black and her hair was her original brown, rather than the red velvet she had fallen in love with when she was fourteen and had always dyed it. She was pale, more than usual, and she looked almost sickly skinny. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but stopped himself, taking a step back into the hallway.

"I'll let you sleep," he said to her. "I'll see you in the morning." Clary nodded, stilling chewing down on her lip.

Jace closed the door, staring at it for a moment after the latch flicked over. He turned on his heel and walked down the hallway to his own bedroom. He winced when he saw the blonde laying there, completely naked and only covered from the waist down by the blankets. He had hoped that after he had gotten the call and given her a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing from the house, she would have gotten the hint and left.

Clearly not.

He pulled off his shirt and jeans, climbing into the bed and closing his eyes.

* * *

><p>"You want to go out and do breakfast, babe?" Jace blinked and realized that it was the blonde, straddling his lap, her breasts on full display and rolling her hips forward over his groin. "Or...You could just eat me?" She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his mouth, sliding her tongue over his lower lip. Jace's hands went to her hips, massaging her ass and then up her back to pull her toward him. He couldn't even remember her name, but she was hot, and since she was there, he might as well put her to use. He met her lips with enthusiasm, his fingers digging into her ass, his mind beginning to sink into a lustful lull when there was a bang and crash from the lounge.<p>

"Shit!" Jace's head snapped up, everything from last night sinking.

"Who the fuck is in the house?" The blonde slid off his lap and pulled the sheet up to cover her body. "I thought you lived alone." Jace rolled his eyes, getting out of bed and walking to his drawers to find a pair of briefs.

"I have a friend staying here," he muttered as he pulled on loose fitting grey sweatpants over his briefs and then turned back to the blonde. "Call a cab, it's probably best that you leave."

"What?" The blonde raised an eyebrow indignantly. Jace suppressed an annoyed sigh.

"I think it's best you leave," Jace repeated. He waved over to the phone on the bedside table next to her. "You can call a cab from there." He left the room without another word, making his way down the hallway to the stairs at the end. He reached the kitchen, where Clary was crouching on the ground, next to a broken plate. She looked up at him when he came in, and chewed on her lower lip.

"Sorry, I just slipped and..." she took in a shaky breath.

"Clary," Jace's eyebrows furrowed. "It's a plate. It's fine." She nodded shortly. "The brush and shovel are under the sink." Clary nodded quickly and reached into the cupboard, working at cleaning up the tiles. She was wearing dark clothes again, black jeans and a dark blue jersey. He took a deep breath in through his nose and shoved his hands into his pockets, walking into the lounge and staring out the floor length windows. He felt Clary's eyes on his naked torso and then heard her next to him. He glanced down, and she was staring out the window. She was so small next to him—she always had been, but the way she hunched her shoulders forward and had lost even more weight from her slim figure, she was postively tiny now. "Uh," he cleared his throat. "What happened to your hair? You always had it..." he reached out and tugged at one of the curls. "Red." Clary opened her mouth to reply when they were alerted to another presence in the room.

"Jace?" It was the blonde. He rolled his eyes, and Clary spun around. "Who's this?"

"This is my friend," Jace bit out. "How far away is your cab?" The blonde glowered at the pair and nodded out the window. She flounced right up to him, pressing her lips to his and purposefully rubbing herself against his bare chest. Clary stared at the ceiling, her jaw taunt.

"Call me when you're...Alone," the blonde shot another look at Clary before turning on her heel and walking to the front door.

"Thanks, Emma," Jace called after her. She hesitated and frowned back at them.

"It's Imogen," she snapped before slamming the door. Clary sighed and started back toward the stairs. He heard her mumble something under her breath and he frowned.

"What was that?" She turned round as she reached the foot of the stairs.

"I said," she spat back. "It's good to know somethings never change." Jace felt anger unfurl at the pit of his stomach and his eyes narrowed.

"Okay, listen, Clary," he growled. "You're here because I care about you." He saw her eyes flare in surprise and he was glad. "Because no matter what shit has happened between us, there is always going to be that part in me that loves you." Her emerald green eyes were just getting wider. "But you made your choice years ago, and how I live my life now, that has nothing to do with you. So I am happy for you to stay here for as long as you need to—I will help in every way I can, but you do _not_ get to judge me. You understand?" Clary nodded mutely before Jace stormed outside.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Here's the next chapter;_

"Clary," Jace rapped his knuckles on the guest bedroom door. "Johnathon's on the phone." The door cracked open and she took the phone from him then walked back into the room. She sat down on the bed and put the phone to her ear.

"Clary? How you feeling?" Johnathon's voice was familiar and Clary felt her eyes begin to tear up. "I'm at a payphone in the middle of town. Don't want your psycho husband tracking our calls." Clary sighed and played with the ends of her hair. "Okay, look. He came by my house yesterday." Her eyes widened.

"What?" She asked.

"Look, don't worry. Nothing happened, but he was...He was pretty pissed."

"What did you tell him?" Her voice was rising in panic, and Jace's eyebrows furrowed.

"I told him the truth, that you called me," Johnathon began. "He's a cop, he's gonna pull the phone records of your cell and all that shit. But I just said that you were calling to talk about your broken washing machine. I mean, he knew I was lying, but there's nothing he can do about it." Clary took in a shaky breath. "Clary, you need to go and talk to Simon. We're not going to let anything happen to you. Tell Jace to take you to Simon."

"Jace knows Simon?" Clary raised her eyebrow and looked over to Jace, who was still watching her from the doorway.

"Yeah, he knows Simon," Johnathon replied. There was a beep and he grunted. "Look, I need to go, okay? Jace and Simon will look after you."

"Okay, Johnathon, I love—" the phone line went dead. "You," she sighed. She pulled the phone away from her ear and then looked up at Jace. "You know Simon?"

"I know Simon," Jace repeated back to her.

"Johnathon said that we should go and see him," Clary said.

"Let's go then," Jace turned around, walking down to his room. He grabbed out a shirt and a leather jacket. Clary was standing in hallway when he came out and he took a set of keys from the hooks by the adjoining door to the garage. "We're taking my bike. I never get to take it out because it's not a good look with the clients." Clary nodded silently, although her mind wondered who the 'clients' were. Despite the fact that Jace was her brothers best-friend, given their history, he was never a subject that was brought up. So Clary had no idea what Jace did for a living, other than deducing that it was a well paid job given his house and car.

And motorbike.

"Uh..." Clary stopped short as she followed Jace around to the other side of his car. Jace handed her a helmet and she took is hesitantly.

"Come on, Clary," Jace said, swinging a leg over the bike and turning over the engine. The roar filled the garage and he reached out to flick a switch on the wall and the door began to wind itself up. "I told Simon we would be there in half an hour." She bit down on her lower lip, looking between the bike and the helmet in her hands. Jace shot her a smirk. "You're not gonna deprive me of a ride, are you? I am doing you a favor, remember." Clary's expression hardened slightly at that and she made a huffing noise as she tucked her hair under her collar and then pulled on the helmet.

"No, I was just remembering when we were younger. You always said that you wanted a motorbike," Clary mumbled, climbing awkwardly on the motorbike behind Jace and bracing herself against him.

"You can move closer," Jace said over his shoulder as he revved the engine again. "It's better if you do." Clary looked between them. She was holding his hips for balance, but she her back ramrod straight, a couple of inches between them. Jace shrugged, revved the engine one last time, before accelerating out of the garage. Clary's body jerked forward and Jace felt her breasts press hard against his back as her hands slid from his hips to rest tightly at his taunt stomach.

Jace loved riding his bike. He had wanted one since he was fifteen and first got his licence. It was the first thing he had brought once he got his job at the Waterhouse Agency. Over the three years he had been working there, his client list and grown and he had less time to himself through the week. He had to change his whole life around work, which was fine, because he enjoyed it. But he did miss going out on his bike. The wind was whipping at his body, beating at his torso, and the feeling of a warm body pressed against his added to the excitement, even if it was someone who didn't share in the same joy in riding the bike as he did. He pulled up to a parking lot outside an expensive apartment building.

"Simon lives here?" Clary asked as she took off the helmet. "I still think it's kinda strange that you know him."

"We're not friends or anything," Jace replied as he hooked their helmets over the seat of the bike. "But we run into each other in our lines of work." Clary shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and nodded, looking down at her feet. "He's on the second storey," Jace said as he began to take the stairs two at a time. Clary followed much slower, and Jace was already waiting for her outside a door and knocking by the time she caught up. The door swung open and Simon Lewis was standing there, looking very different from how she remembered him in high school.

"Jace," Simon nodded at the tall blonde. "Clary," he smiled warmly at her and stepped forward to give Clary a quick hug. "What happened to your hair?" He asked her.

"Uh," Clary fiddled with one of the long locks that hung around her face. "I stopped dying it." Simon nodded and then held the door open wider to allow them to pass. The apartment was one of a male who lived alone, although there were a couple of give away that he had a girlfriend. A purple cardigan over the back of a chair, a pair of white lace-up sandals next to his three sets by the front door and a picture of Simon with his arms around a female sitting on the coffee table. Clary cast another look sideways when they sat down on the couch, surprised again at the change Simon had gone through. He still wore his glasses, but they were a lot more fashionable and quite expensive looking. His hair was shorter, and he was tanned, as opposed to the floppy hair and the pasty skin she remembered. He had also put on a lot of muscle weight, his arms and torso more defined.

"Okay, now before I start, I just want to make sure you're happy with Jace hearing all the details," Simon began.

"I, uh," Clary glanced across at Jace, who was standing by the balcony doors, watching her intently. "Yes. If you and Johnathon trust him then I do too."

"So complimentary," Jace muttered.

"Can I just ask what exactly you do now?" Clary tilted her head to the side.

"I own a private security firm," Simon replied. Clary let out a short laugh and Simon rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, I know, weird, right?"

"I always thought that you would go into something with computers or science," Clary shrugged.

"Yeah, life is weird," Simon reached over to the glass coffee table to pick up a dark folder. "Okay, so we've had a full background check done on Jacob. Did you know that he has had a couple of assault charges pending against him?" Clary's eyes widened in surprise, which Simon took as a negative in response to his question. "Two against females, one against a male, however neither of these went to court for one reason or another. His partner and himself also had an Internal Affairs investigation a couple of years ago because there was suspicion they were involved in beating suspects and stealing evidence such as drugs and dirty money."

"When was this?"

"Two years ago," Simon replied. "After you two were married."

"He never told me about any of this," Clary took in a deep breath through her nose. Jace bit down on his lower lip to stop himself from saying anything, but his golden eyes were angry.

"Nothing was found, but any IA investigation is always going to leave a black mark on a cops permanent record," Simon took in a deep breath. "Clary. He's not a good guy."

"Yeah, I'm know that now," Clary sighed. Jace was shuffling from foot to foot by the door, chewing on the nail of his thumb. When the two fell quiet he pushed himself away from the door frame, standing in front of the couch.

"What do we do, Simon? How do we stop him from finding her?" His tone was short. Simon moved his gaze from Clary up to Jace and then back again.

"No contact with anyone from before, even Johnathon," Simon said. "Johnathon will call you from payphones that can't be traced, I'll talk to him about that later. But don't call him at work, or home, or anything, okay?" She nodded once. "Don't access any of your bank accounts or even your Facebook account. If you need to get in contact with anyone, let Jace know, he knows how to get in contact with me. Or if you can get a pay phone? But even if you get a pay phone, you still can't call Johanthon. Only me and Jace. Jacob will be monitoring Johnathon's phone calls and emails. And anyone else that he might think that you will be getting help from." Clary was rocking forward slightly and pressed two fingers to her forehead. "Clary?" Simon touched her arm. "Are you okay?" Jace frowned down worriedly at her.

"Yeah, it's just..." she licked her lower lip. "Maybe this was a mistake."

"No," Simon's voice was loud and bounced throughout the room. Jace raised an eyebrow. Simon pulled out a couple of laminated A4 sheets of paper. "You did the right thing. You should have done it sooner." Jace moved around so that he was standing behind the couch and his shoulders tensed. "I saw the photos from your multiple hospital appointments, Clary." She diverted her gaze, starting across the other side of the room uncomfortably. Jace snatched one of the photos from Simon's hand. It was a close up photo of Clary's face, her lip was split, her right eye was purple and blue and her nose was bleeding, bent in an unnatural direction. He looked down at her and noticed that there was a slight bump on the ridge, showing that it had been broken. He followed down her arms to where her hand was rubbing over something at the palm of her hand. When she parted her hands, he saw a light pink scar there.

"Are we done here?" Jace asked abruptly. Simon looked back to him and nodded.

"Do you understand everything that we've one through, Clary?" Simon asked.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Just one thing. How long does this have to go on for?" Simon ran a hand through his hair.

"I've dealt with these kind of cases a lot," Simon breathed out heavily. "You're lucky that there isn't a child involved. Those are always horrible because courts get involved quicker. But it's just a waiting game. It's different in every case. The most important thing to do is to keep your head down. We will keep you safe."

_What you guys thinking? Let me know, I love your reviews. Tell me what you like, hate, want to happen :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey guys! I'm back. Sorry, took some time off while I was on summer leave from work. Been off to the beach, sleeping in with my gorgeous hubby and also went to the Katy Perry concert! Whoop whoop! Okay, thank you so much for your reviews. Seriously, you're all amazing! On with the story;_

Clary was silent from the time they left Simon's, to when they parted ways in Jace's hallway. He watched as she moved numbly into the guest room and through into the ensuite. A couple of seconds later he heard the shower turn on and then the bathroom door shut. Jace sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair, tugging at the strands before walking slowly down to the end of the hallway to the stairwell that led downstairs. The pictures explained the extreme need to get Clary away from her husband, and just the idea alone that someone had laid their hands on her was enough to stir up a fire in his stomach. The pictures, and proof that he had? Jace had seen red in Simon's apartment, and was glad that Clary hadn't wanted to talk because he wasn't ready for any logical conversation. He wanted to ring Johnathon, yell at him for letting her stay in that environment for so long. The date at the bottom of the photos Simon had held was from almost eighteen months ago, and Jace guessed that it wasn't the first time it had happened.

He looked up at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was just after three. He was pretty sure that Clary hadn't eaten, and it was automatic as he started pulling out the ingredients for grilled cheese. All through high school, whenever she had something important coming up, or when she was studying for exams, she turned to grilled cheese as her stress food. It was also what she ate when her parents began going through their divorce. He diced up red onion and bacon, tossing it together with the grated cheese before putting the mix between two slices of bread and putting it into the sandwich press. Once the bread had turned golden-brown and melted cheese was oozing out from between the slices, he took it out, cutting it diagonally and putting them on a plate. Jace walked back up the stairs and down to the guest room. The shower was still going and the door firmly shut, but he could hear faint noises inside, like hiccups. He clenched his teeth together to remain calm, moving to put the sandwich on the dresser and then closing her door. Then he went to his own room, opening up the doors onto the balcony and lit up a cigarette.

* * *

><p>When Clary woke up that morning, the house was silent. She dressed in a dark pair of leggings and a loose grey shirt before grabbing the plate that Jace had brought her grilled cheese on and walking down the hallway. She had come out of the shower, feeling drained and tired but a smile had crossed her face when she saw her favorite food sitting on the dresser.<p>

She was surprised he had remembered.

Clary glanced in his room when she walked past, and noted that the bed was made and the curtains were open. There were two other rooms coming off the hallway but they were both empty as well. The kitchen and lounge were silent, the curtains open and a couple of the high windows open to air the house out. On the counter there was a note, with Jace's scrawl scratched into the white paper.

_Off to work. Make yourself at home. Use the credit card for whatever and feel free to take the car out._

Next to the note were a set of keys and a shiny, black card. Clary frowned and avoided the keys and card as she folded the note over and went to the sink. There was a coffee cup tipped upside down in the sink, and she washed it along with her plate. She wasn't planning on going out, so after brewing another lot of coffee and filling a cup, she began exploring the house. She had already seen the lounge, although as she walked out onto the patio, she was surprised by the large backyard. There was a flower garden that edged the property, and a rectangular pool under a tree to one sides, leaves littering the water. She walked back into the house, going down the hallway to the right. There were two more bedrooms, both as cold and detached as the guest bedrooms upstairs, one with a double bed and dark bedroom suite, the second with a single bed, a wooden bedroom suite and a couch. They were clean and tidy, but clearly not used. The second to last door was a library, which looked like the most personal room in the house, apart from maybe his bedroom which she wasn't going to look in. There was a jacket over the back of a leather arm chair, and a pair of reading glasses rested on the small table which held a reading lamp. Next to the glasses and lamp was a photo frame and she picked it up, smiling. It was of Jace and her brother, taken when they were in high school. She put the photo back down and looked up at the books, running her fingers over the binding before reaching another photo frame at the end of the third shelf.

It was of Johnathon and Jace, again, but this time she was in this one. She remembered this one, the boys were eighteen and she was seventeen and they were at a party. She was pretty sure her brother was stoned, going by his slightly reddened eyes, and her and Jace were happy, their arms around each other and heads tilted forward. This was two months before everything had gone sideways and her and Jace had stopped talking to each other. She put the photo frame back, taking a sip of her coffee before leaving the office. The last room lead to another lounge, this one bigger than the one adjoined with the kitchen. There was a bar in the corner of the room and a pool table on the far end by two doors that lead out to another balcony.

Jace had done very well, in whatever his profession was now.

Clary made a mental note to ask him.

She spent the rest of the day cleaning. She started at the pool, rolling up her leggings to give her pale legs some sun as she used the net to scoop out the leaves. Then she worked on the kitchen, taking everything out of the cupboards, spraying the surfaces down with cleaner and then wiping them down until the room smelt like lemon. Just after twelve she looked through the freezer, pulling out half a kilogram of mince and putting it into the sink to defrost. The house was surprisingly well stocked, and Clary wondered if Jace actually cooked more than just grilled cheese and macaroni, like when they were younger.

Probably.

It looked like she had missed a lot.

Clary shook her head and left the room.

She had cut Jace out of her life for a reason, and while she was grateful that he was helping her out, she wasn't going to forget about why she had originally done that.

* * *

><p>"Clary?" Jace called, walking down the hallway and loosening his tie. He could smell a garlic and rosemary scent coming from the kitchen. He came into the kitchen, raising an eyebrow as he saw Clary moving around the kitchen. The comment 'honey, I'm home' was on the tip of his tongue, but he thought that might be pushing it a little. He put down his briefcase on the counter top and sat down at the breakfast bar. "You didn't have to cook dinner."<p>

"I didn't have much else to do," Clary shrugged. "And I don't mind cooking." She finally turned around to face him and the surprise showed on her face. He was wearing an expensive looking suit with a maroon button down shirt and a black tie. Somehow, the formal wear just looked even more enticing with his almost shoulder length blonde hair and the two rings in his left ear. Clary quickly composed herself, but not before Jace saw the flash of appreciation across her face and he smirked. She pulled out two plates from the cupboard and started dishing up the mince and spaghetti dish. When she turned around, she smiled tightly at him and pushed his plate across the the bar to him.

"Did you go out today?" Jace asked as he blew on the first forkful of dinner.

"No, just stayed around here," Clary replied, pouring herself a cup of water.

"I left the keys and card for a reason," he told her.

"Yeah, it's fine. Thanks, though," she murmured. Jace pursed his lips but let it drop. They ate in silence, although Jace caught her peeking at him once or twice when she thought he wasn't looking. When they finished, Clary reached over to take the plate from him but he pulled it back, raising an eyebrow.

"You cooked. I'll clean," he shook his head.

"No, it's honestly fine," Clary's eyes widened and she tried to take his plate again. Jace pulled it off the breakfast bar and out of her reach, letting out a laugh.

"I got this," Jace told her. He got off the booth and came around to the other side of the bench, quickly swiping her own plate. "Thanks for dinner, Cherry. It was good." He felt her body stiffen and inwardly kicked himself for calling her by her old nickname. Clary seemed to make up her mind and walked around to the lounge, looking out the window where the sun was setting in the distance. Jace took off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, working his way quickly through the dishes. He left them to drip dry on the rack and pulled out a bottle of Scotch from the cupboard. "Do you want any?" He asked. Clary turned around and he saw the way her shoulders tightened as she saw the crystal glass in his hand.

"No, no," she mumbled. "Actually I'm gonna go to bed." Jace frowned and looked up at the clock on the wall.

"It's half past seven," he stated.

"I'm tired," Clary shrugged. Jace locked his jaw, swirling round the amber liquid around in the tumbler. "Goodnight."

"Night," Jace called after her as she walked up the stairs.

Jace was used to getting less than five hours of sleep a night, and not going to bed until after eleven then being up at six. It was no different tonight. He finished off his glass of Scotch and the latest episode of _Arrow_ before doing some work. Around ten o'clock he went to his room, hanging up his suit and throwing his shirt and underwear into the washing hamper for the maid to do tomorrow. Before he stepped into the shower, which was backing onto Clary's room, he heard a cry come from the other side of the wall. He paused, taking in a long breath between clenched teeth.

He had heard her crying last night, but they weren't in any place for him to be going into her room.

He would probably just make it worse.

Jace stepped into the shower, letting the sound of the pounding water drown out the noises from next door.

_What do you guys think? Pleeeeease review, and tell me! I live off your lovely words!_

_Now, on another subject; New Year Resolutions and all that shit. I am so _not _a New Year, New Me kind of person, and I totally mock anyone else who is like that (including most of my best friends) but I do try and make a couple of improvements and beginning of a new year is a good time as any to try. So on each of my updates I'm going to put up two things that has made me happy, or smile, or giggle through the week. It's not going to be anything like my hubby (who is this sexy hunk of awesomeness that lights up my life) or my best friends or family (also complete and utter darlings). It's going to be purely superficial shit, and you guys can do what you want with that information ;)_

_This week; Ian Somerhalder a.k.a Damon Salvatore. Okay, sooooo if you don't know who this blue eyed devil is, or don't think he's attractive in the slightest then I don't know what you're planet you're from. This guy makes me wet every time he comes on screen. OH. MY. GOD. Second is the song _We Come Running _by Youngblood Hawke. I know, I know, it's an old song, but I totally hated it until about a week ago when I saw it on a TV series, and then my opinion totally changed. It's just such a feel good song! __It's such a feel good song, and just makes me want to belt it out from the rooftops...Or scream it out when I'm driving in the car with the windows down._


	5. Chapter 5

_You guys are so incredible with your reviews! Seriously, I do little happy dances whenever I get another one. So a massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed on previous chapters! Everyone following in the background, come on pretties! Make my day :)_

The rest of the week went by slowly. Jace continued to hear Clary crying every night, but he didn't mention it to her. Every time he heard it he wanted to punch someone, her husband, hard, right in the face. He wanted to call Johnathon, but after talking to Simon, he decided against it. Simon had said that given previously they didn't speak more than once or twice in a month, it would come up as strange if they were in contact now, and Jacob might look into it.

Every night that he went to sleep he saw the pictures that Simon had shown them and it took him hours before he could get his mind to shut off.

The thought alone that anyone could do that to Clary, to the girl that he used to fucking _finger paint _with when he was eight, was enough to make him push himself past the point of exhaustion at the gym.

The fact he had seen _proof _of it?

His blood boiled and he knew that if he ever saw the man who had done it to her, it would take every ounce of self control to stop himself from killing him.

Clary hadn't left the house during the week, only to go to the back yard. The maid came by on Tuesday and Thursday, and moved around the house quietly, tidying up and doing the washing. Clary had been doing her own washing but wasn't surprised that Jace got someone in; he was gone whenever she woke up and he didn't get back until at least after six thirty. On Wednesday a gardener came and mowed the lawns, tended the gardens and cleaned out the pool. By Friday, she was going a little stir crazy, and finally decided to make use of the credit card that Jace had left. She wasn't sure which was key was for the house, so left one of the back doors unlocked as she started down the street. It was a nice neighborhood, all of the houses just as big as Jace's with perfectly manicured gardens and big, expensive fences gating their properties. She made a note of the street name before turning right at the end of the block. She wasn't sure how long she kept walking until she found a cute little cafe at the corner of one of the blocks.

"Hey, doll, what can I get ya?" The older woman behind the counter looked harried, but she smiled widely when she caught sight of Clary.

"Uh," Clary shot her a small smile and looked up at the chalk board behind her head, studying it for a moment. "Can I just get an iced chocolate? And the waffles, with berries?"

"Sure thing," the woman rung up the order. "Seven twenty, love." Clary paused, before handing over Jace's credit card and she swiped it through. "It'll be ten minutes."

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, Mrs Morgernstern!" Jace greeted Jocelyn Morgernstern as she opened the front door for him. "Is Jon home?" He asked, referring to her step-son.<em>

_"He isn't back from hockey yet, Rissa is out the back if you wanted to wait out there..." Clary could hear her mother and she recognized who it was straight away—there was no missing that voice. The only voice that made her stomach clench and the tips of her ears turn red. Clary ran a hand through her hair, glad that she had freshly dyed it last weekend so that her dark colored roots weren't showing through. She shifted on the hammock so that so that there was room for him to sit down if he wanted to._

_Which she hoped he would._

_"Hey, Clary," Jace smiled at her as he came out onto the back porch._

_"Hey, Jace," Clary smiled back up at him, attempting to appear casual as he came over and sat down on the hammock beside her as she had hoped. The older boy leaned back and that forced Clary to do the same to keep the balance, her legs hanging over the edge of the hammock, next to his. Their knees bumped together, but he didn't pull away, leaving his leg pressed against his and Clary felt a thrill run through her._

_"I heard that Sebastian asked you to prom," Jace mentioned after a moment of silence._

_"Yeah," Clary mused. "I'm pretty sure it's just to get at Jon but it would still be cool to go."_

_"It won't be anywhere near as good as what people expect," Jace shrugged. "These things are always huge disappointments—especially to girls."_

_"Well then, I can go this year and have all my dreams crushed and next year I'll be as jaded as you for my own senior prom," Clary teased him lightly, poking him in the side. "It's still, like, four months away. I don't need to make my mind up yet."_

_"He's a douche," Jace's expression had gone dark and Clary raised an eyebrow in surprise. "If you really want to go, just come with us. We're like three muskateers."_

_"I'm not going to my first prom with my brother," Clary laughed and rolled her eyes. Jace was quiet for a moment, pulling at a loose thread at the hem of his jersey, Clary studying him. His fair eyebrows were furrowed, as though he was thinking hard, before he lifted his head and met her eyes, gold connecting to green._

_"Come with me," he said abruptly._

_"What?" Clary laughed in surprise._

_"Come with me," Jace repeated, more firmly this time. "There's no one else I want to go with and I know you'd make the night bareable," he shot her a smirk and nudged her in the side. "Plus, we will look hot together."_

_"Well," Clary shot him a grin and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I'll look hot. I don't know what you'll look like."_

_"Bitch," Jace shot at her._

_"Man whore," Clary snipped back._

_"But you love me," he insisted, shuffling closer to her and wrapping an around her shoulders, tugging lightly at a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. Clary felt a twinge in her stomach as his fingers brushed over her cheek—the tingles that raced over her skin still a strange feeling when she was around her step-brothers best friend. They had all been friends for years, but it was only after she had turned sixteen that she realized it wasn't just friendship she felt toward the older boy. But like hell was she going to be the first one to admit it, despite getting the impression in moments like these that she wasn't the only one who felt this way._

_"You're alright," she said casually._

_"Yo!" There was a slam of the front door inside and Johnathon's voice rang out, effectively breaking whatever moment they were having. They shifted apart, although Jace kept his arm around Clary. Johnathon didn't pay any attention, flopping down in the wicker chair next to the hammock. "I swear you only come over here to spend time with my sister," he joked as he began to unlace his hockey boots._

_"Well, she's damn prettier than you," Jace teased back, appearing completely unaware at how affected by their closeness and his comment._

_"Yeah, probably why Sebastian asked her to prom," Johnathon screwed up his nose in disbelief._

_"Hey—'_her_' is sitting right here," Clary jumped into the conversation, shooting a glare at her brother before groaning. "Ohmygod, does everyone know about that?" Johnathon shrugged, dropping both his boots to the ground and leaning back._

_"Fucking awkward for him," Jace laughed. "Clary said that she would go with me." Johnathon looked from his best friend to his step-sister, a strange look crossing his face before he grinned._

_"Well that fixes the problem—that guy's a dick, Clary!"_

* * *

><p>"I hope you like Indian food," Jace announced as he walked into the kitchen. Clary looked up, surprised from the lounge where she was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the TV. It was five, at least an hour before he had gotten home the rest of the week, so he knew that she wouldn't have started dinner yet. He kept telling her that she didn't need to cook, but she would insist. Clary got up off the floor and came into the kitchen area, pulling plates out of the cupboard. They emptied the plastic takeaway cartons and took the food into the lounge, where Clary had been watching the latest news bulletin. They ate in relative silence before Clary made a noise at the back of her throat and fumbled around in her pocket.<p>

"Here," she said, handing over a crumpled up piece of paper. Jace took it, raising an eyebrow.

"What's this?" Jace asked through a mouthful of food.

"Its a receipt. I went out for breakfast today," Clary told him. "You're already letting me stay here and eat your food for free. I don't want any debt." Jace screwed up the paper and tossed it behind him, to where the takeaway rubbish was.

"There's no debt among friends," Jace mumbled as he shoved a piece of naan in his mouth. Clary studied him for a moment.

"We're not exactly friends, Jace," she murmured, her eyes going back to the TV. Jace looked over to her, the long dark hair framing her taunt face. Her clothes were all dark or neutral colors, completely different from the wild colors that she used to wear. He waited until they had both finished eating before he said anything.

"Hey, Clary?" He began, tapping his fingers against the side of his plate almost nervously, not wanting to upset the slightly tense truce that had fallen. "What happened to your hair?"

"Oh, is there something in there?" Clary ran her fingers through her hair and shook it out.

"No, I mean..." Jace licked his lower lip and played with the cuff of his button down shirt. "I haven't seen it your natural color since you convince Jocie to let you dye it when you were fourteen." Clary shrugged. "Seriously, Clary. You loved the red hair. And it suited you." She took in a deep breath, lowering her eyes.

"Jacob didn't like it," she muttered.

"What about your clothes?" Jace's voice was harsh and he saw her face close down.

"He didn't like them," she replied, her voice barely audible. Jace stared at her until she turned to face him, her lips in a straight line. He shook his head and got up, slamming down his plate on the coffee table and getting up. He stalked to the balcony doors and pushed them open, pulling out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lighting one up. Clary watched him, standing on the veranda in his expensive suit, shoulders hunched forward, the quickly sinking sun causing a glow off his blonde hair. She took in a deep breath and got up, walking out to join him. He didn't even spare her a glance as he puffed away on the cigarette, his golden eyes furious as he thought about how she had spent the last couple years of her life conforming to the wants of someone who clearly didn't care anything about her. She leaned against the balcony railing, staring out over the sunset. "You don't have to stay here with me, ya know. I get that it's a Friday night, go out and have fun. I don't need a babysitter."

"I'm around people all day," Jace grunted. "It's nice to have time away from it all." He finished his cigarette and dropped it to the ground, grinding it out with with the heel of his shoe. He was still tense, but nicotine always helped to calm him down. "And I have to work tomorrow anyway." Clary nodded and turned to go back into the house. "Hey, Clary?" Jace said over his shoulder. She paused and looked back at him. "You should go back to the red hair. You're not you without the red hair."

_Okay, so for my two things, there's this song that I was going to quote. But then there was another song, and another, and I couldn't choose which one, so I was like; this is my story, so I can name them all! So there's _Legendary Lovers_ by Katy Perry. Hated it the first time I heard it, then my best friend overplayed it to the absolute max, and somehow I was cornered into loving it. _Talking Body_ by Tove Lo. So much loooooove! She was incredible live, and when she sung this song she had nodules on her vocal cords and still managed to pull it off. Oooh and she went on stage in bare foot, which was awesome. Last song is _Up_ by Olly Mars and Demi Lovato. God, just love it! Clearly..._

_Last thing is my fave on screen couple! Dotty! Such incredible love for this couple which anyone would know if you've been following me for a while. They are incredible on screen tomorrow; the chemistry, the history, the way they just bounce off each other. Both of their eyes when they talk about each other or with each other...God damn. Vin Diesel is this gorgeous hunk of a man, and I could totally get off on his voice alone, and Michelle Rodriquez is a total kick ass babe, one of the only woman I can see opposite him, because he needs a strong female and she is perfection in that aspect. I can't get enough of them together and I can't wait for April to roll around with the latest movie! Whoop Whoop!_

_I've decided to do a challenge...Coz I'm corny like that. So I've got so many couples that I ship (I'm a bit of a shipping whore). I was wondering if you guys would be able to guess my top ten? I've already given you the first one, and the rest don't have to be in order. For the three people who guess the most out of the ten, I will do a one shot of your request :) I'm putting this on a couple of my other stories as well, so it's the first three out of all of those stories, not three per story. Haha. I need a pick me up with my writing, and I thought this could be a fun way to do it, because I love your ideas and I miss writing one shots!_

_Let me knoooooow :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_What is going on here? Two updates in a week? Whaaaaaaat? Haha. Your reviews are incredible people, thank you so much. I'm glad that you're enjoying it! And you guys who are following along in the background, let me know what you think! I do know that this is a shorter one, but this is the second update this week, just remember that._

Every morning Clary woke up and felt just as tired as she had been the night before. She knew that she was having nightmares, she couldn't remember them in detail but she had a fair idea of what—or who, they were about. She dragged herself out of bed just after eight, pulling on a pair of jeans and a dark red singlet before walking down the hallway. She could hear Jace moving around in the kitchen, and she realized that it was Saturday morning. For a moment, Clary paused, wondering if after she had gone to bed last night he left and found some girl to warm his bed, like he clearly had the week before. She reached the stairwell and peeked over, finding Jace alone in the kitchen. Watching him move around the kitchen, pouring pancake mixture into a frying pan and humming under his breath, made her think back to when things were good between them. He had always been a charmer, and easy to get along with, which was why she had fallen for him in the first place. She took in a deep breath and walked down the stairs.

"What can I do?" She asked as she joined the blonde in the kitchen.

"I'm good, it's almost all ready," Jace told her. "Just take a seat."

"I don't mind finishing up," Clary pressed, walking over to the stove top that he had vacated to pour two glasses of juice.

"Clary," Jace said firmly, looking over at her and then nodding in the direction of the bar stools. "Sit down. I'm almost done." Clary tensed her jaw and walked over to the bar stool, sitting on one of them stiffly and watching him. Jace took the last pancakes out of the frying pan and divided them evenly between the two plates. There was a tube of maple syrup and a little bowl of defrosting berries on the counter and he pushed them over as he put down both plates of pancakes on the eating side of the bar. They ate in silence, Jace glancing over at her occasionally. When they finished, she cleared their dishes, stacking the dishwasher and turning the machine on.

"Thanks for breakfast," she mumbled as she busied herself cleaning the plastic spatula that couldn't go through the dishwasher. Jace watched her, tapping his fingers on the counter top, considering what he was about to say.

"I have to go to work today," he began. Clary made a humming noise under her breath in response. "But it's not in the office, it's actually at the race track in the city." She picked up a tee-towel and wiped down the spatula. "Did you want to come?" He saw her freeze before she turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"To a race track?" She asked.

"Yeah," Jace shrugged.

"It's okay," Clary replied, opening one of the utensil drawers and putting away the cooking item. "I think I'll just stay around here today."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Jace got off the bar stool and came into the kitchen area next to her. "I think it would be good for you to get outside, get out of the house. You've reorganized my kitchen twice this week—it took me ten minutes to find out where you put my mixing bowl." Clary sighed and tilted her head to the side. "Come on. I just need to go for a few hours, it'll get you some fresh air and you might actually have fun."

"Um," Clary nodded. "Okay." Jace nodded.

"Be ready in ten minutes," he told her, walking toward the stairway and disappearing upstairs. Clary followed more slowly, going into her temporary room and getting ready in the en suite. She put on a thin layer of foundation and mascara, pulling a hairbrush through her hair. The weather looked a little grey, clouds massed in the sky, and she decided to wear a thin sweatshirt over her singlet. Jace was waiting for her in the hallway when she came out and he gave her a quick smile. "Ready?"

"Ready," Clary affirmed.

"We're taking the car since it's a work thing," Jace sounded disappointed. Clary personally wasn't. While being on the back of the motorbike was exhilarating, it forced Clary to close the small distance between her and Jace that they still had. They were silent on the way to the track, soft rock music playing from the stereo. When they arrived, the stadium was packed, people walking several miles to get from their cars to the actual building itself. Jace didn't bother looking for spots on the street, driving straight into the stadiums parking structure and bee-lining around people to get to the front. There were several spots still free, right at the front, and one of the parking attendants smiled at Jace, moving aside to let him park.

"Wow, you must be pretty important," Clary noted as they got out of the car and he pocketed his keys. The main entrance had a queue of well over a hundred people but Jace put his hand on her lower back, walking her quickly to the front of the queue, flashing a smile at the lady charging tickets who smiled back and nodded.

"Afternoon, Mr Wayland," the girl chirped as she pressed the buzzer and let them through.

"Shit," Clary muttered. "_Really_ important." He didn't really reply, just gave her a lop-sided smile.

"Okay, so before we go up," Jace tugged on her hand, stopping her by one of the vendors carts that was selling merchandise. "This is a big event, there are photographers and reporters everywhere. I know it would be a long shot, but I'm not risking it." He pulled a cap declaring _Slade for #1_ and threw down a note on the vendors bench. Clary pursed her lips together and dropped her head as she realized what he was getting at. She had spent a lot of time by herself over the past week, and she couldn't help where her brain went when she had nothing to distract it. But this was the first time this morning that she had thought of Jacob. "Here we go," Jace put the cap on her, and then reached behind her shoulders to where her hair was spilling down her back and brought half of it forward, so that it obscured some of her face. "Let's go," he slipped his hand easily into hers, pulling her after him in the crowds of people. It was as though they had been holding hands for the past eight years, and there hadn't been that gap in the middle where she wouldn't touch him if she was paid.

The stadium was loud, there were projector screens everywhere that magnified the streaming crowds and the cars that were whizzing around the track. Jace pulled her up the metal stands of the bleachers, clearly not worried about the people scrambling for seats around them as they winded their way to box seats which were half way up the bleachers. There were about five other people in there, who all smiled and greeted Jace as they entered. Clary flashed a quick smile at them before sitting down right at the end and fixing her eyes on the track. Jace was talking to an attractive brunette, laughing when she leaned forward and touched is arm. After a minute, he sat down next to her, careful not to invade her personal space by giving them a few inches apart. He pointed down to where there was a crew getting a red and white car ready, a fully kitted out driver standing next to a man in dress pants and a button down shirt who looked completely out of place.

"That's Leroy Slade," Jace said. "He's my work."

"You work for him?" Clary asked and Jace laughed.

"He would like to think that," he conceded. "I'm his agent. I help with his publicity, make sure he's making all the right decisions in his career and in return I get some pretty sweet deals."

"Like prime parking and box seats?"

"Damn right," he grinned.

"And who's she?" Clary couldn't help it, nodding over to the brunette that Jace had been talking to.

"That's Margot, his wife," Jace replied breezily, his eyes fixed on the red and white race car as the big screens flicked to an announcer. "They've been married for three years but together since they were eighteen. You couldn't find a couple more opposite if you tried, but you also couldn't find a couple who loved each other more." Clary chewed down on her lower lip, hearing the slight bitterness in his words. "Race is about to start," Jace told her, standing up from the bench to lean against the plastic paneling of the box. Clary shifted her eyes down to the track, as the car with Leroy Slade in it shot out from the side, taking it's place on the tarmac. "Come on," Jace held out his hand toward her. "You can't appreciate it properly unless you're getting the best view."

"You don't call box seats the best view?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, yeah," Jace shook his head. "But, come on, stand up." She did, leaning against the panel next to him and looking down at the track and then up at the screens around the stadium. The ground practically shook as people got to their feet and cheered as the the starter gun went off and the cars flew from starting line.

_My loves for today! Okay, so first there's this show that's on BBC that I've just got on DVD and fallen in love with CALLED Orphan Black? It's incredible! She like finds out that she's a clone and there's all these chicks that look exactly like her, except a couple of them are certifiably nuts, and she's got this foster brother called Felix. He _makes _the show. No shit, he's awesome._

_My second thing is is Wentworth Miller! There's really a thing with my day being made by hot guys, right? Haha. Well, my hubby and I have decided to go right back to the beginning of Prison Break and watch it all over again, and it made me remember how much I love him! Plus, how awesome is it that he came out as gay to world in a protest letter written to the Russian GOVERNMENT. I mean, it's depressing he's gay, but that doesn't make him the slightest bit less attractive. Sigh..._

_So I had a little challenge on the previous chapter. I've already emailed the people who guessed the most, and I thought I'd just announce them and then let you all know the answers! There was _Ray Ray 39208, Dom-Letty_ and _firequeen8569_. Here are my top ten;  
><em>_Dom/Letty (Fast and Furious)  
><em>_Caleb/Hanna (Pretty Little Liars)  
><em>_Chuck/Blair (Gossip Girl)  
><em>_Damon/Elena (Vampire Diaries)  
><em>_LOGAN/Veronica (Veronica Mars)  
><em>_Oliver/Felicity (Arrow)  
><em>_Deeks/Kensi (NCIS: Los Angeles)  
><em>_Draco/Hermione (Harry Potter)  
><em>_Peeta/Katniss (Hunger Games)  
><em>_Jace/Clary (Mortal Instruments)  
><em>_And then there's the honorable mentions such as Bellamy/Clarke (100), Michael and Nikkita (Nikkita), Donna/Harvey (Suits) and, of course, the first ones I ever fell in love with—Troy/Gabriella (High School Musical)._


End file.
